Augmented feedback for powered wheelchair training in a virtual environment
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(2019) 16:12
RESEARCH
Open Access
Augmented feedback for powered wheelchair training in a virtual environment Catherine Bigras1,2, Dahlia Kairy3 and Philippe S. Archambault2,4*
Abstract Background: Powered wheelchair (PW) driving is a complex activity and requires the acquisition of several skills. Given the risks involved with PW use, safe and effective training methods are needed. Virtual reality training allows users to practice difficult tasks in a safe environment. An additional benefit is that augmented feedback can be provided to optimize learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether providing augmented feedback during powered wheelchair simulator training results in superior performance, and whether skills learned in a virtual environment transfer to real PW driving. Methods: Forty healthy young adults were randomly allocated to two groups: one received augmented feedback during simulator training while the control group received no augmented feedback. PW driving performance was assessed at baseline in both the real and virtual environment (RE and VE), after training in VE and two days later in VE and RE (retention and transfer tests). Results: Both groups showed significantly better task completion time and number of collisions in the VE after training and these results were maintained two days later. The transfer test indicated better performance in the RE compared to baseline for both groups. Because time and collisions interact, a post-hoc 2D Kolmogonov-Smirnov test was used to investigate the differences in the speed-accuracy distributions for each group; a significant difference was found for the group receiving augmented feedback, before and after training, whereas the difference was not significant for the control group. There were no differences at the retention test, suggesting that augmented feedback was most effective during and immediately after training. Conclusions: PW simulator training is effective in improving task completion time and number of collisions. A small effect of augmented feedback was seen when looking at differences in the speed-accuracy distributions, highlighting the importance of accounting for the speed-accuracy tradeoff for PW driving. Keywords: Augmented feedback, Powered wheelchair, Training, Virtual reality
Background Around 1 % of community-dwelling Canadians use a mobility device (manual wheelchair, powered wheelchair or scooter) [1]. This proportion is higher for the older portion of the population, with around 4 % of the population aged 75 and over using a wheelchair [1]. In comparison to a manual wheelchair, powered wheelchairs (PWs) require almost no physical effort and enable * Correspondence: [email protected] 2 Interdisciplinary Research Center in Rehabilitation (CRIR), Montreal, Canada 4 School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, Canada Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
people with more severe limitations to maneuver in their home or in a community environm
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